


Hang them up the nearest tree!

by alyssawinchester1983



Category: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)
Genre: Eventual Fluff, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, F/M, Forced Relationship, Jail, Marriage Proposal, Protective Boyfriends, Suicide Attempt, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-19
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2018-10-21 00:26:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10673889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alyssawinchester1983/pseuds/alyssawinchester1983
Summary: The Pontipee brothers didn't get off so easy. They were taken back to town to be hanged.It was up to the girls to save them.Will they do it?It gets better, i promise





	1. But Pa!

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Seven Determined Brides](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/284898) by Countrylover99. 



Liza was hiding in the barn, she couldn't believe her darling Ephraim wanting to send her back. She wouldn't go, she wouldn't! She heard a voice yelling,

"Ruth! Where are you Ruth?" 

It was Caleb, Ephraim's 27 year old brother. 

Six of the Pontipee brothers had kidnapped her and five of her very best friends from their home last fall. They had wanted to marry the girls, but they had been banned from town after a fight.

The eldest brother, Adam, had married their friend Milly earlier in the year. She had been horrified when she found out what the boys had done. She made all seven of them eat and sleep in the barn all winter while the girls got the house.

Adam was furious with Milly and stormed off to the hunting cabin high in the mountains. He stayed there all winter.

The other six boys apologized to the girls and spent all winter getting on their good sides. 

Benjamin had been forgiven when he took Dorcas sledding. She had squealed in delight as they raced down the hill. Their adventure ended with locked lips. 

Dorcas had been a bit embarrassed, she was 23 for crying out loud! She had been giggling like a school girl. Ben told her that it was cute and that made her blush more and kissed his cheek. 

Caleb was the first to be forgiven, mostly out of pity from Ruth. He knew how much she loved to bake and on a rare day that Milly let him in the house, he attempted to bake her a pie. 

It failed spectacularly! According to Frank, "It's worse then Gideons cooking!" He got a punch to the stomach for that comment.

Ruth thought it was sweet though and forgave him. She told him that he would have to promise to leave the cooking to her. He laughed and agreed. 

Dan had a tough time getting forgiven. Martha was very prim and proper, so she didn't forgive him till the spring.  
All it took was a baby goat.

All the other boys had already been forgiven and were spending the surprisingly warm day with their girls.

Dan had just helped a goat with birth and needed a blanket to clean it off, so Ephraim ran to get one. Once Martha heard she wanted to see. So she followed Ephraim as he ran back to his twin brother. 

Dan didn't notice her at first and wrapped the small goat in the blanket and held it gently. Martha knelt next to him, "Its so small. " She whispered.  
Dan looked up, finally noticing her.  
Liza had gently pulled Ephraim away to give them privacy. 

Dan smiled "Do you want to name her?" He asked Martha.

Martha looked surprised "Really?" He nodded 

Martha had been so touched that she kissed his cheek excited before realizing what she had done. 

She looked away in horror before Dan kissed hers back.  
She forgave him then and there.  
They ended up naming it Buttercup by the way. 

Ephraim had been forgiven on Christmas day. Liza loved Christmas so he decided to make her something nice.  
He would stay up till midnight everynight carving away at some wood just for her present.

He had made her a big wooden mixing bowl. He knew the only things she had here that were really truly hers were her shoes and the dress she had been wearing when he took her.  
He hoped it would be enough. 

When he gave her the bowl, Liza started crying rght away and pulled him into a tight hug, thanking him over and over.  
Ephraim hugged her back, relieved that she liked it.

Frank was a charmer and basically talked his way to forgiveness. He never really believed the actions speak louder then words nonsense.

He knocked on the door of the cabin one super chilly night.  
When Sarah came to the door he just started talking quickly.  
"Sarah, i want to apologize. I never should have done that. I'm a stupid guy in love and took you away from your life and family to this stupid cabin in the woods and Ugh I'm an idiot and I really just want to say sorry. "  
He said all of that really quickly.  
Sarah had a soft smile  
"And further more, i feel bad for not doing anything for you like the others but talking is something I am good at and-"  
Sarah cut him off by gently kissing him.  
When she pulled back, Frank looked super surprised and had his mouth hanging open, lost for words  
Sarah giggled, very unlike her, and said "Well that got you to be quiet." 

Gideon had really wanted to get Alice flowers, cause they were favorite things. But it was snowy and cold, amd hard to find flowers. He looked though, and manged to find a few. He left it on the window sill with a card that read, " To Alice"

Alice smiled when she found them, knewing right away who they were from.

The next day, she went over to him and kissed his cheek, surprising him. "Thanks for the flowers." She said before walking away. 

The next few month had been great. The boys courted the girls and Milly had a babygirl named Hannah. Gideon rode to the hunting cabin to get Adam but he didn't come back. He said he would be back when the snow was gone.

Well, the snow was gone and that meant to townsfolk would be coming to get the girls.  
Adam told the boys to let the girls go, saying that if someone took Hannah he would string them up the nearest tree.

The girls heard that they would be taken back amd ran off, hiding in the barn and outside

And that brings us to where we started.  
In the barn, with Liza and Caleb.

Liza looked at Caleb and tried to figure out how to get away. When his back was turned, looking under a blanket, she ran for it. She nearly made it to the door when Caleb grabbed her.

"Let me go!" She cried out, hitting his arms. 

Caleb frowned "You gotta go home Liza. Ephraim wants you to be happy. "

"But I'm happy here." She protested, struggling. 

Caleb frowned and called for his little brother "EPHRAIM!" 

The other boys ran into the barn, each chasing a girl.  
The only one who had their girl was, surprisingly, little Gideon. He had Alice over his shoulder, tears streaming down her face. 

Adam followed them in. "Grab her dress Ben!" He yelled after Benjamin as he chased Dorcas into the loft. 

Liza felt herself being pulled into strong arms and looked up to see Ephraim's sad face looking down at her. 

Lize tried not to cry "I don't want to go back. " She whispered miserably.

"I know." He said sadly, "But you gotta."  
Liza opened her mouth to speak when the doors to the barn flew open and The fathers, brothers and lovers of the girls ran in.

The girls all startes crying and clung to the boys.  
Liza felt herself being dragged off. 

"It's okay. You're okay now." She heard, she looked up and saw George, the boy her parents want her to marry.

She looked over to see Ephraim being knocked unconscious and dragged away. 

"NO!" She yelled as she tried to run to him. "Ephraim!" She whispered. 

"What are you gonna do to them?" Ruth asked through her tears. 

"Take them back to town and put them on trial. " Sarah's brother answered. 

"They didn't do anything but love!" Alice pleaded with her Pa. 

"They took you from us. I would rather hang them from the nearest tree!" Martha's father said, shaking his fist. 

"But Pa!" Martha yelled, horror on her face. "We love them!'

"No you don't!" Carl said frowning, "You love me!" He insisted. 

Martha frowned "I don't and i never will. I love Daniel!"  
She said.

"We are putting every last one of them on trail, even Adam." Alice's father said. "End of story!" 

Liza frowned as she thought of Milly and baby Hannah.  
She was taken over the Georges horse and lofted up in front of him. She started to cry as they rode past Ephraim's unconscious body. He had blood on his face and looked dead. 

George held her tightly "I've got you. " He whispered, "And I'm never letting go again."


	2. Can't live without them

It was hard to not have their boys with them.  
The girls were not adjusting well. Dorcas had locked herself in her room and refused to come out. Sarah had yelled and cursed at her Pa.  
They all just wanted their boys back. 

It was about a week after the girls had been "rescued" and Liza was going to the general store for her Mama.  
She walked through the town square, past the jail.  
She glanced over at the building, thinking of the boys when she heard screaming and angry yells. 

Liza ran over to the wall that surrounded the jail and looked in. She saw Frank, bent over with no shirt, his hands tied together.  
He was being whipped. She gasped at his state.

He had gashes all over his back, his face was beaten and bloody, he had a chunk of hair missing, and he seemed to be crying.

Liza felt like crying, she stepped back from the wall. If Frank was being treated like this, all of them must be as well, including her sweet Ephraim.

She couldn't watch anymore and hurried off to the store. By the time she got there, her face had lot all its color and she was full out sobbing. 

She sat on the front step of the store, not having enough energy to go in and just cried. No one paid her any attention, she even saw George walk right past her. 

Liza wiped her eyes on her pink and purple dress, embarrassed. She stood up and dusted herself off, she needed to stay strong, Milly would find away to get all seven of the boys safe and back with their girls. 

At Dorcas's house, her Pa was extremely worried. Dorcas was refusing to leave her room at all. He though that she wasn't eating or drinking at all.

What he didn't know was that Dorcas was eating apple off of the tree in the yard, and Ruth was bringing her water every day. 

He knocked on her door again "Honey open the door!"  
He pleaded  
"Let Benjamin out of prison and i will!" She yelled back

Her Pa put his face in his hands and shook his head.  
"He kidnapped you!" He argued.

"He did it out of love Pa" Dorcas said quietly.  
Her Pa frowned at the door, she really did love him. He sighed and walked away from the door. He didn't know what to do.

He went to the kitchen and sat at the table. His wife was cooking over the fire, she was making dumplings, Dorcas's favorite. "Any luck?" She asked.  
He shook his head "She...She loves that man. Even after everything he did." He said sighing. 

Dorcas's Ma frowned "Maybe we shouldn't press charges then..." she suggested  
"Maybe. I'll think about it. Cause if we don't, they will likely get married." He said frowning  
"I thought you wanted her to get married Pa." Said Jenny, Dorcas's little sister.  
"Not to this man Jen. He isn't good news." He said running a hand through his hair. 

Meanwhile, Liza had finished at the store and was running to Sarah's now, no matter how horrible it was, she needed to know about Frank.  
She knocked on the door and Sarah answered it,  
"Hello Liza! What's wrong?" She asked after seeing her terrified face.  
"I saw Frank." Liza whispered  
"You did? Is he okay? " Sarah asked pulling Liza inside.  
"No. They are beating him. He was being whipped in the yard when i saw him. He looks so awful Sarah!" Liza cried  
Sarah looked down at her feet and took a deep breath, trying not to cry. "Thank you for telling me...at least he is alive." She said disheartened.  
Liza pulled her into a tight hug. Sarah hugged her back just as tightly.  
"Did you see any of the others?" Sarah asked.  
"No. Just Frank. But the others are probably in just as bad shape." Liza said sadly  
Sarah nodded "My pa wants to hang them. He won't listen to me." She said frowning  
"My pa as well. He says the only one to go free should be Adam and only because of Hannah." Liza told her.  
Sarah sighed "I just don't know what to do." She said trying not to cry.  
"I don't either, and i better get going. I'll see you later." Liza said waving bye to Sarah as she left.

Milly and Alice were sitting in the garden at their parents home, playing with Hannah and knitting  
"We might get to see the boys tomorrow." Milly told Alice.  
Alice looked up from her knitting in shock, "What? Really?" She asked looking excited.  
Milly nodded "They want to see how the boys act around us and if they like what they see, the boys could be freed."  
Alice looked at her hands, "I hope they are. Liza saw Frank being beaten today. '  
Milly gasped "Oh my goodness. Are you serious?"  
Alice nodded "She said it was awful. Sarah almost started crying when she heard."  
Milly sighed and said, "I can see why. I'm really worried about all of them."  
"Me too." Alice agreed.  
They sat there in silence the rest of the night, just thinking about those seven men.


	3. Chapter 3: Reunited!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So work totally caught up with me! I will try to post more on here and my other story and I have lots of new ideas!  
> Enjoy!

       Milly, Ruth, and Liza, all stood in front of the big, ugly prison. They were going to get to see their men. The mayor wanted to see how they reacted to them and how the men treated them. The other four girls had wanted to come, but they had not been permitted.

      They were each lead to a different cell, it was dark and damp, with bugs everywhere. The smell of death and suffering filled the air. The girls were told they had only ten minutes with the men and that they would be watched.

      Ruth timidly pushed the door open and was hit with the smell of rotten flesh. The room was dark and for a moment, Ruth thought no one was in the cell, but then she saw a motionless lump in the corner. She stepped into the room a hair and looked closer. "Caleb?" She whispered softly, hoping that all the blood around the lump wasn't his. At the sound of her voice, Caleb looked up weakly. Ruth took a step back in shock.

      His face was raw and beaten, his whiskers gone now replaced with cuts. The cuts looked like flowers and hearts, bloody hearts to show how the towns boys felt. His leg was crushed and mangled looking like he had stepped into a bear trap. His red hair was tinged brown with dried blood and was untamed and gross. He had no shirt on and his pants were torn and covered in blood. His cheat was untouched but his back had marks of a whip. But in spite of all of this, Calebs face lit up at the sight of Ruth. 

      Caleb used the little strength he had to sit up and smile at his pretty girl. "You come for me." He mumbled. 

      Ruth cried out and rushed to him, kneeling next to him and placing her hands on his chest. She kissed him with all her might, not caring that her aunt and uncle could see her. "What happened to you?" She said in shock, pulling back and looking at his beaten form. 

      He smiled weakly, "Special visit from Zeke" He mumbled through gritted teeth. Ruth frowned, Zeke had been her fiancee before the kidnapping and Ruth had broken in off the second she got into town. His father was a rich doctor and had a lot of control in the town, meaning he could have easily made this happen. 

      Ruth gently kissed his forehead, "This is all my fault..." She said sadly. 

      Caleb grabbed her hand and kissed her fingers, "Never darling. You have a right to pick who you want to marry. It could be Zeke or me or any other man you may want. I wish I had just seen that last fall." Ruth smiled sadly and sat next to him, worming under his arm and leaning against him. Caleb wrapped his arm around her and they sat there in silence, just enjoying the heat from each other.  

      While this had been going on, Milly had been lead into Adam's cell. He was sitting on the cot, looking fairly untouched. He had a small cut n his cheek and a bruise on his face but he looked fine besides that. 

     "Adam!" Milly cried as she rushed into the room. Adam stood up and caught the blonde beauty in his arms. 

     "Oh, Milly!" He said smiling as he held her close. 

     "You're alright!" Milly whispered as she pulled back. Adam frowned a little at that. 

     "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be? Did something happen?" He asked. 

     Milly bit her lip in worry. "You haven't seen your brothers?" She replied with worry

     "No...Why?" Adam said back, his brows coming closer together. 

     "Liza saw Frank being beaten the other day, and we all feared the worst." She said sighing. 

     Adam's face went red. His little brothers were being hurt, and he was not? He went over tot eh door and started to shout violent and cruel things. 

      "Come on you sons of bitches! Too scared to get the big guy?" He yelled. 

      Milly grabbed his arm in an attempt to get him to stop but he shook her off, continuing to yell and threaten. Milly once again grabbed him and he pushed her off, mad as hell. 

      Just then three heavy men rushed into the room. One grabbed Milly and pulled her from the room and the other two tackled Adam and knocked him out. Milly started to cry as his shouts suddenly stopped. "Don't hurt him!" She cried in anguish. She was taken upstairs to Rev. Perkins and his wife and they whisked her home. 

     Meanwhile, Liza was taken all the way to the bottom of the jail. The place smelled of pain and death. She heard screams of pain coming from around her. She shivered as one scream sounded just like Benjamin. The guard took her to a gross looking cell and pushed her inside, locking the door behind her. 

     Laying on the bed in a pool of blood was Ephraim. He wasn't moving and barely breathing. He had an injury on nearly every surface of his body. He had no clothes on except a scrap of fabric covering his genitals. He looked up weakly, his usually bright blue eyes dimmed to the point of being dark grey. 

    "Liza..." He murmured. Liza walked to him slowly and he placed a hand on her cheek. "You're real...I love you." He whispered weakly. 

     "I love you too." She whispered through her tears. She bent over and peaked his dried lips. He held her hand so tightly like he was afraid she would leave him. 

     Ephraim looked up at the brown haired angel sent to him and smiled. "Once I get out of here. I'm gonna buy you the prettiest ring this side of the Rocky's and get your Pa's blessing to marry you." Liza smiled at him and kissed him again, deeply. He kissed back and they smiled into the kiss.

     A  bang pulled them from the kiss. The mayor stood there with and two guards. "Ephraim Pontipee. It is time for you to pay for your crimes." He grabbed Liza and pulled her to him, his rod poking her behind. "The crime of stealing what is rightfully mine!" 

 

   


End file.
